Refrigerator construction



Nov. 10, 1964 A. R. COSTANTlNl ETAL 3,156,102

REFRIGERATOR CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 7, 1965 ATTORNEY Nov. 10, 1964 A. R. COSTANTINI ETAL 3,156,102

REFRIGERATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed May 7, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ANTHONY R.CO$THNTIN\ BY HNTH NY D\' ANGELUS XWWVL ATTORNEY Nov. 10, 1964 A. R. COSTANTINI ETAL 3,

REFRIGERATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed May '7. 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gi i lgi c Q (h H r a Q 43 i a a FIG. 7 26 E III 2' l 38 I T F 60 ZI'JTQZTPTILIIH o )6! i i l l i l I "27 s I i 37 i 36 i l {I l l 1 l I i @1111 INVENTO-R,

BY ANTHONY Di HNGELUS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,156,102 REFRIGERATGR CONSIRUKJTION Anthony R. Qostantini, Philadelphia, and Anthony Di Angelus, Manna, Fa, assignors to Victory Metal Manufacturing ilompmy, doing business as Victory Metal Manufacturing Corporation, ilyinouth Meeting, Pin, a

corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 7, I963, Ser. No. 278,579 9 Gainers. (Cl. 62--237) This invention relates generally to a refrigerator construction, and more particularly relates to a refrigerator construction which includes a refrigerating housing unit and an insulated roll-around refrigerated compartment which may be moved into and out of the housing portion at will.

The roll-around refrigerated compartment unit according to the invention is an enclosed cabinet having an access door generally located in one of the sides so that access to the interior of the compartment may be had for the storage and removal of articles which it is desired to refrigerate. The cabinet is completely enclosed so that it retains the cooled atmosphere therewithin for an appreciable length of time so that the articles may be maintained in their refrigerated state while the cabinet is rolled or otherwise transported to various locations remote from the refrigerating housing itself. As contemplated, a plurality of such roll-around cabinets may be provided for use with a single refrigerating housing so that as soon as one cabinet is removed from the housing a second cabinet may be immediately installed within the housing and the interior or the contents thereof placed under refrigeration. In this way maximum utilization of the refrigerating apparatus is possible. Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a novel refrigerator construction which consists of two basic units, one of such units being a refrigerating housing structure intended for location generally at a fixed place, while the other unit is a roll-around refrigerated cabinet structure adapted to be rolled directly into the refrigerator housing structure so that the interior thereof may be cooled, the cabinet being thereafter removable for movement to any desired location.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel refrigerator construction as aforesaid in which the rollaround cabinet structure is provided with selectively openable and closa-ble inlet and outlet vents by means of which cold air from the refrigerating housing structure is circulated through the cabinet to cool the interior thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel refrigerator apparatus as aforesaid which includes a movable gasket arrangement registrable with the inlet and outlet openings of the cabinet and with the cold air producing portion of the refrigerator housing structure to provide a closed circuit for the cold air forced through the cabinet structure by the refrigerating housing structure to thereby increase the efficiency of the refrigerating apparatus and decrease the time required to cool the interior of the roll-around cabinet. 7

The foregoing and other objects of this invention will become clear from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with an examination of the appended drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 illustrates in perspective the refrigerating apparatus construction according to the invention showing the roll-around cabinet rolled into position within the refrigerating housing for carrying out refrigeration of the compartment Within the cabinet;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective View similar to that of FIGURE 1 excepting that the roll-around cabinet is illustrated out of the refrigerating housing, being shown in solid linein front of; the housing and in phantom ice to the rear of the housing to illustrate that the housing structure of FIGURE 2 is of the roll through type of construction;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view through the refrigerator housing and cabinet shown in FIGURE 1 as would be seen when viewed along the plane designated by the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional fragmentary view through the structure of FIGURE 3 as would be seen when viewed along the line 44 thereof and illustrating the bullet catch devices for holding the cabinet in proper position within the housing;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the bullet catch latching arrangement engaged with the roll-around cabinet as would be seen when viewed along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view through the structure of FIGURE 3 as would be seen when viewed along the line 66 thereof looking upward at the underside of the gasketing arrangement used to seal the inlet and outlet ports of the roll-around cabinet when carrying out the refrigeration of the cabinet contents;

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal cross-sectional view through the structure of FIGURE 3 looking downward as would be seen when viewed along the line 77 illustrating the roll-around cabinet in position within the refrigerating housing and with the inlet and outlet ports gasket seated downward thereupon as shown by the dashed line;

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 7 excepting that it is taken along the line 83 of FIG- URE 2 and is with respect to the roll through type of refrigerator housing, it being seen that there is no housing rear wall in contrast to the showing of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a vertical sectional view through the structure of FIGURE 3 on an enlarged scale and in fragmentary form as would be seen when viewed along the line 9- of FIGURE 6 to disclose more clearly the gasketing structure for sealing the inlet and outlet ports of the cabinet structure when the latter is in position within the refrigerating housing; and

FIGURE 10 is a view similar to that of the lefthand end of FIGURE 9 but with the gasketing structure illustrated in upwardly retracted position to disengage the same from the upper surface of the roll-around cabinet structure.

In the several figures, like elements are denoted by like reference characters.

Turning now to an examination of the figures, there will be seen in FIGURES 1 to 3 the refrigerator apparatus according to the invention including the refrigerating housing having an upper section 2% and a lower section 21, and the roll-around refrigerated cabinet designated generally as 22. The refrigerator housing is fixedly secured to the underlying floor 23 as by means of the anchors 24. The cabinet 22 is provided with casters 25 by means of which it may be rolled about and into the interior of the housing lower section 21 within which it just fits as may be most clearly seen in FIGURES 1, 3, 7 and 8. FIGURES 1, 3 and 7 illustrate the cabinet 22 disposed between the housing lower section side walls 26 and against the housing rear wall 27, whereas in the showing of FIGURE 8 which illustrates the pass-through type of refrigerating housing it is constructed as would be expected without any such rear wall 27. Apart from the provision or absence of the refrigerating housing lower section rear Wall 27, there is no difference whatever between the roll-through type of refrigerating housing illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 8 and the type provided with a rear wall as in FIGURES 3 and 7.

The outer surfaces of the side walls of cabinet 22 are each provided with a horizontally extending bar 28 having smoothly curved opposite ends 29 and provided substantially centrally thereof with a depression 36. Set into the refrigerating housing lower section side walls 26 and projecting inward into the interior of the housing are a pair of spring loaded bullet catches 31, best seen in the showings of FIGURES 4 and 5, which are cammed outward by the curved ends 29 of the side bars 23 carried by cabinet 22 as the latter is moved into the housing lower section 21, the bullet catches each riding along the surface of the engaging side bar 28 until they register with the depressions 30, whereupon they snap inward to latch the cabinet in position as is shown in FIGURES 4 and to prevent the cabinet from wandering. As best seen in FIGURE 4, the contour of the depressions 30 is such that a firm pull on the cabinet 22 will cause the bullet catches to be cammed rearward against the biasing spring pressure and permit the cabinet to be rolled out of the housing lower section 21.

As perhaps is best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, the cabinet 22 has insulated side walls 32, rear wall 33, door 34, topwall and a bottom which is not specifically seen but which is nevertheless present. The cabinet topwall 35 is provided with a pair of cold air inlet ports 36 and outlet ports 37, the ports being supplied with closure panels 38, as seen in FIGURE 9, for sealing off the port openings when the cabinet 22 has been removed from the refrigerating housing in order to prevent admission of the warmer outside air to the interior of the cabinet. As best seen in FIGURE 3, the interior of the cabinet 22 may be provided with rack shelves 39 carried by side rail supports 46 secured to the inside side walls 32 of the cabinet 22, it being noted that the rack shelves 39 are of open bar construction so that the refrigerated air blown downward into the interior of the cabinet 22 through the inlet ports 36 may pass around the articles stored within the cabinet and downward through the shelves 39 to penetrate and permeate the entire interior of the refrigerated cabinet.

The bottom of the housing upper section 20 is closed by a bottom plate 41 rectangularly apertured as at 42 and 43, these details being most clearly seen in the showings of FIGURES 3, 6, 7, 9, and 10. The rectangular apertures 42 are the cold air outlet vents from the refrigerating compartment and the rectangular openings 4-3 are the cabinet air return vents by means of which the air from the cabinet is withdrawn out of the cabinet outlet ports 37 and upward into the refrigerating compartment. As best seen in the showing of FIGURE 3, mounted upon the bottom plate 41 immediately above the outlet vents 42 and air return vents 43 respectively are a cooling coil unit 44 and a circulator fan 45, the cooling coil unit and circulator fan being enclosed within a compartment 46 formed with the bottom plate 41 by a cover section 47. Secured within the housing upper section 29 above the cover section 47 is a shelf 48 upon which are disposed a compressor 49 and condenser 5-9, air being drawn inward from the outside across the condenser 5-9 through the housing louvers 51 by means of a fan 52.

The refrigeration system is turned on and 01T by means of a switch 53 operable from the front of the housing upper section 20 as is best seen in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3. When the switch 53 is actuated to start up the compressor 49 and the fans and 52, the fan 45 pulls air upward through the return vents 43 and forces it past the cooling coil unit 44 downward through the cold air outlet vents 42. With the inlet and outlet ports 36 and 37 of the refrigerated cabinet 22 disposed closely beneath the outlet and return vents 42 and 43, and with cabinet port closure panels 38 retracted so that the cabinet ports are open, the cold air from the cooling coil unit 44 will tend to circulate downward into the cabinet 22 while the air within the cabinet will tend to be withdrawn therefrom by means of the circulator fan 45.

In order to move the refrigerated cabinet 22 readily into and out of the housing lower section 21 it will be appreciated that a certain degree of clearance is required between these units and therefore air leakage paths exist which reduce the efficiency of the cabinet cooling operation. This difiiculty is overcome by means of a sealing gasket device supported from the underside of the refrigerating section bottom plate 41 and by means of which the cabinet inlet and outlet ports 36 and 37 are respectively coupled to the refrigerating unit cold air outlet vents and cabinet air return vents 42 and 43, and are isolated from communication with the ambient atmosphere. The sealing gasket structure is best seen in the showings of FIGURES 6, 9 and 10 to which reference should be now made.

The gasket 54 as seen in plan view in the showing of FIGURE 6 is of generally square annular shape sufficiently large to encompass therewithin the vents 42 and 43 and includes a dividing rib gasket section 55 extending from one side of the gasket outer frame to the other and set arating the vents 42 from the vents 43 to provide a barrier therebetween. The gasket is made of rubber or other resilient material, and as best seen in the vertical crosssectional showings of FIGURES 9 and 10 is of side turned H-shape in its central region 56 for the purpose of retaining in position an H-shaped metal weight structure 57. Extending upward from the upper end of the central region 56 is a bellows section 58 of the gasket 54 which terminates at its upper ends in laterally outwardly turned flange portions 59 seated flatwise against the undersurface of the bottom plate 41 and securely clamped thereto by means of the metal clamping frames 60 and screws 61. Extending downward from the central region 56 of the gasket 54 is a hollow rectangular compressible region 62 having a frat undersurface adapted for tlatwise seating disposition upon the topwall 35 of the refrigerated cabinet 22, as best seen in FIGURE 9.

A comparison of FIGURES 9 and 10 shows that in FIGURE 10 the bellows section 58 is compressed so that the gasket 54 is raised and the hollow rectangular compressible lower region 62 of the gasket is lifted out of contact with the topwall 35 of the refrigerated cabinet 22. FIGURE 9 however discloses the condition wherein the bellows 58 is extended to allow the gasket 54 to drop downward and press the hollow rectangular compressible lower region 62 against the topwall 35 of the cabinet 22. As is also seen in FIGURE 9, the cabinet inlet ports 35 and refrigerating section cold air outlet vents 42 are vertically aligned and enclosed within the righthand section of the gasket structure 54 while the cabinet outlet ports 37 and refrigerating section air return vents 4-3 are also vertically aligned and enclosed within the lefthand section of the gasket, the gasket dividing rib 5S sealing the cold air outlet vents 42 away from the air return vents 43 so that no air short circuit effect occurs. It is thus seen that the cold air coming from the cooling coil unit 4 must pass downward into the cabinet 22 through the inlet ports 36 and the air within the cabinet 22 must move upward for circulation through the cooling coil 44.

The lowered position of the gasket 54 shown in FIG- URE 9 results from the downward pull on the bellows section 58 of the gasket exerted by the weight of the H-shaped weight element 57. This weight effectively causes the scaling to take place. In order, however, to move the refrigerated cabinet 22 into and out of the housing lower section 21, it is necessary that the gasket 5 be moved into its raised position as shown in FIGURE 10. For this purpose a plurality of properly positioned electromagnets are utilized, the electromagnet pole pieces being designated as 53 and the electromagnet windings being designated as 64. The windings 64 are connected by means of conductors 65 to a source of energization 66 and a switch 67 by means of which latter the windings may be selectively energized and de-energized. The electromagnets will of course be normally de-cnergized so that when it is necessary to move a cabinet 22 into the housing lower section 21 to carry out refrigeration thereof the gasket must be raised. The switch 67 is utilized to energize the electromagnets and raise the gasket in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 10. Thereafter when the cabinet 22 has been moved into proper position within the housing, as for example shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, the switch 67 may again be actuated to de-energize the electromagnets and drop the sealing gasket 54 downward into sealing position as illustrated in FIGURE 9.

Of course, prior to moving the cabinet 22 into the housing lower section 21 the port closure panels 38 would be opened, and conversely, after the removal of the cabinet 22 from the refrigerating housing the port closure panels 38 would be moved into their closed position to retain the refrigerated condition within the cabinet 22. If desired, other means for operating the gasket 54 may be utilized, and these operating means may be electrically or mechanically actuated. Moreover, the gasketing structure itself might take other forms.

Having now described our invention in connection with a particularly illustrated embodiment thereof, it will be appreciated that modifications and variations of the same may now occur from time to time to those persons normally skilled in the art without departing from the essential scope or spirit of our invention, and accordingly it is intended to claim the same broadly as well as specifically as indicated by the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A referigerator apparatus comprising in combination, a refrigerating housing unit, and a mobile refrigerated cabinet unit adapted to be rolled into said refrigcrating housing unit for refrigeration of the cabinet interior and subsequent withdrawal of the cabinet for transportation to locations remote therefrom, said cabinet being a thermally insulated enclosure provided with (a) means for rendering the cabinet mobile,

(b) an access door for loading and unloading the insulated cabinet interior,

(0) inlet and outlet air ports for respectively permitting the injection of cold air into and withdrawal of air out of the cabinet interior, and

(d) means for opening and closing said cabinet inlet and outlet ports,

said refrigerating housing unit including (a) a cabinet roll-in section of the proper size to accept said cabinet and cause it to be specifically positioned therewithin (b) a refrigerating unit for cooling and circulating air having'a cooled air outlet vent and a return air inlet vent, and

(c) selectively actuatable shiftable means for directly sealingly coupling the cooled air outlet and return inlet of the refrigerating unit respectively to the said cabinet inlet and outlet ports when the cabinet is specifically positioned within the said housing unit roll-in section.

2. A refrigerator apparatus comprising in combination, a refrigerating unit, and a physically independent thermally insulated mobile refrigerated cabinet unit, said cabinet being provided with (a) an access door for loading and unloading the in sulated cabinet interior,

(b) inlet and outlet air ports for respectively permitting the injection of cold air into and withdrawal of air out of the cabinet interior, and

(0) means for opening and closing said cabinet inlet and outlet ports, 7

said refrigerating unit including (a) means for cooling and circulating air including a cooled air outlet vent and a return air inlet vent, and

(b) indexing means for specifically positioning said cabinet relative to said refrigerating unit,

sealing means for coupling the said refrigerating unit cooled air outlet and return inlet respectively to the said cabinet inlet and outlet ports to thereby substantially restrict the fiow of cooled air from the refrigerating unit to that injected into the cabinet inlet port and substantially restrict the flow of air into the refrigerating unit return inlet solely to that issuing out of the cabinet outlet port, said sealing means including a shiftable gasket structure and selectively operable means both carried by said refrigerating unit for causing the gasket to shift against said cabinet and directly couple the cabinet ports to the refrigeraitng unit air vents and for decoupling the same as desired.

3. A refrigerator apparatus comprising in combination, a refrigerating unit, and a physically independent thermally insulated mobile refrigerated cabinet unit, said cabinet being provided with (a) an access door for loading and unloading the insulated cabinet interior,

(b) inlet .and outlet air ports located in the top wall of the cabinet for respectively permitting the injection of cold air into and withdrawal of air out of the cabinet interior, and

(0) means for opening and closing said cabinet inlet and outlet ports,

said refrigerating unit including (a) means for cooling and circulating air including a cooled air outlet vent and a return air inlet vent respectively so located that said cabinet inlet and outlet ports can be respectively disposed immediately therebeneath in vertical registration therewith, and

(b) selectively actuatable shiftable means for directly sealingly coupling the said refrigerating unit cooled air outlet and return inlet respectively to the said cabinet inlet and outlet ports when the cabinet is positioned as aforesaid so that the several vents and ports are vertically registered.

4. A refrigerator apparatus comprising in combination,

a refrigerating unit, and a physically independent thermally insulated mobile refrigerated cabinet unit, said cabinet being provided with (a) an access door for loading and unloading the insulated cabinet interior,

(b) inlet and outlet air ports located in the top wall of the cabinet for respectively permitting the injection of cold air into and withdrawal of air out of the cabinet interior, and

(c) means for opening and closing said cabinet inlet and outlet ports.

said refrigerating unit including (a) means for cooling and circulating air including a cooled air outlet vent and a return air inlet vent respectively so located that said cabinet inlet and outlet ports can be respectively disposed immediately therebeneath in vertical registration therewith,

(b) vertically expandable sealing gasket means peripherally enclosing the area of said vents and including means for substantially isolating the cooled air outlet vent from the return air inlet vent, and

(c) selectively operable means actuatable for causing the gasket to be expanded vertically downward to seat upon the cabinet top wall and peripherally enclose the area of said ports to couple the cabinet inlet and outlet ports respectively to the refrigerating unit cooled air outlet vent and return air inlet vent while isolating the ports and vents from the ambient atmosphere, said selectively operable means being also actuatable to cause the said gasket to be contracted verticaliy upward and disengage from the cabinet top wall.

5. A refrigerator apparatus comprising in combina- 1 tion, a refrigerating unit, and 1a physically independent thermally insulated mobile refrigerated cabinet unit, said cabinet being provided with (a) an access door for loading and unloading the sulated cabinet interior, (b) inlet and outlet air ports located in the top wall of the cabinet for respectively permitting the injection of cold air into and withdrawal of air out of the cabinet interior, and

() means for opening and closing said cabinet inlet and outlet ports,

said refrigerating unit including (a) means for cooling and circulating air including a cooled air outlet vent and a return air inlet vent respectively so located that said cabinet inlet and outlet ports can be respectively disposed immediately thcrebeneath in vertical registration therewith,

(b) vertically downwardly expandable and upwardly contractable sealing gasket means peripherally enclosing the area of said vents, said gasket means including a vertically expandable and contractable bellows section and weight means normally effective to cause said bellows section to be in its expanded condition, and

(c) selectively operable means actuatable to vertically contract said bellows section and thereby raise the gasket means by overcoming the effect of said weight means, said selectively operable means being also deactuatable for allowing the bellows to expand vertically downward to thereby seat the gasket upon the cabinet top wall and peripherally enclose the area of said ports to couple the cabinet inlet and outlet ports respectively to the refrigerating unit cooled air outlet vent and return air inlet vent while isolating the vents and ports from the ambient atmosphere.

6. A refrigerator apparatus comprising in combination,

a refrigerating unit, and a physically independent thermally insulated mobile ref igerated cabinet unit, said cabinet being provided with (a) an access door for loading and unloading the insulated cabinet interior,

(b) inlet and outlet air ports located in the top wall of the cabinet for respectively permitting the injection of cold air into and withdrawal of air out of the cabinet interior, and

(0) means for opening and closing said cabinet inlet and outlet ports,

said refrigerating unit including (a) means for cooling and circulating air including a cooled air outlet vent and a return air inlet vent respectively so located that said cabinet inlet and outlet ports can be respectively disposed immediately therebeneath in vertical registration therewith, and

(b) selectively actuatable shiftable means for directly sealingly coupling the said refrigerating unit cooled air outlet and return inlet respectively to the said cabinet inlet and outlet ports when the cabinet is positioned as aforesaid so that the several vents and ports are vertically registered,

and indexing means associated partly with said cabinet and partly with said refrigerating unit effective to hold said cabinet positioned relatively to said refrigerating unit so that the aforesaid vertical registration of said cabinet ports and refrigerating unit vents is maintained as desired.

7. A refrigerator apparatus comprising in combination,

a refrigerating unit, and a physically independent thermally insulated mobile refrigerated cabinet unit, said cabinet being provided with (a) an access door for loading and unloading the insulated cabinet interior,

(1)) inlet and outlet air ports located in the top wall of the cabinet for respectively permitting the injection of cold air into and withdrawal of air out of the cabinet interior, and

(c) means for opening and closing said cabi et inlet and outlet ports,

said refrigerating unit including (a) means for cooling and circulating air including a cooled air outlet vent and a return air inlet vent respectively so located that said cabinet inlet and outlet ports can be respectively disposed immedi- 8 ately therebeneath in vertical registration therewith,

(b) vertically downwardly expandable and upwardly contractable sealing gasket means peripherally enclosing the area of said vents, said gasket means including a vertically expandable and contractable bellows section and weight means normally effective to cause said bellows section to be in its expanded condition, and

(c) selectively operable means actuatable to vertically contract said bellows section and thereby raise the gasket means by overcoming the effect of said weight means, said selectively operable means being also deactuatable for allowing the bellows to expand vertically downward to thereby seat the gasket upon the cabinet top wall and peripherally enclose the area of said ports to couple the cabinet inlet and outlet ports respectively to the refrigerating unit cooled air outlet vent and return air inlet vent while isolating the vents and ports from the ambient atmosphere,

and indexing means associated partly with said cabinet and partly with said refrigerating unit effective to hold said cabinet positioned relatively to said refrigerating unit so that the aforesaid vertical registration of said cabinet ports and refrigerating unit vents is maintained as desired 8. A refrigerator apparatus comprising in combination,

a refrigerating unit, and a physically independent thermally insulated mobile refrigerated cabinet unit, said cabinet being provided with (a) an access door for loading and unloading the insulated cabinet interior,

([2) inlet and outlet air ports located in the top wall of the cabinet for respectively permitting the injection of cold air into and withdrawal of air out of the cabinet interior, and

(c) means for opening and closing said cabinet inlet and outlet ports,

said refrigerating unit including (a) a bottom plate and means for supporting the same at an elevation above the floor which is somewhat higher than that of the cabinet top wall,

(b) means for cooling and circulating air including a cooled air outlet vent and a return air inlet vent formed in the said bottom plate, said vents being respectively so located that said cabinet inlet and outlet ports are respectively disposable immediately therebeneat'n in vertical registration therewith,

(c) vertically expandable sealing gasket means secured to and depending from said bottom plate peripherally enclosing the area of said vents and including means for substantially isolating the cooled air outlet vent from the return air inlet vent, and

(d) selectively operable means actuatable for causing the gasket to be expanded vertically downward to seat upon the cabinet top wall and peripherally enclose the area of said ports to couple the cabinet inlet and outlet ports respectively to the refrigerating unit cooled air outlet vent and return air inlet vent while isolating the ports and vents from the ambient atmosphere, said selectively operable means being also actuatable to cause the said gasket to be contracted vertically upward and disengage from the cabinet top wall.

9. A refrigerator apparatus comprising in combination,

a refrigerating unit, and a physically independent thermally insulated mobile refrigerated cabinet unit, said cabinet being provided with (a) an access door for loading and unloading the insulated cabinet interior,

(Z2) inlet and outlet air ports located in the top wall of the cabinet for respectively permitting the injcc tion of cold air into and withdrawal of air out of the cabinet interior, and

(c) means for opening and closing said cabinet inlet and outlet ports, said refrigerating unit including (a) a bottom plate and means for supporting the same at an elevation above the floor which is somewhat higher than that of the cabinet top wall,

(12) means for cooling and circulating air including a cooled air outlet vent and a return air inlet vent formed in the said bottom plate, said vents being respectively so located that said cabinet inlet and outlet ports are respectively disposable immediately therebeneath in vertical registration therewith,

(c) vertically downwardly expandable and upwardly contractable sealing gasket means secured to and depending from said bottom plate peripherally enclosing the area of said vents, said gasket means including a vertically expandable and contractable bellows section and weight means normally effective to cause said bellows section to be in its expanded condition, and

(d) selectively operable means actuatable to vertically contract said bellows section and thereby raise the gasket means by overcoming the efiect of said weight means, said selectively operable means being also deactuatable for allowing the bellows to expand vertically downward to thereby seat the gasket upon the cabinet top wall and peripherally enclose the area of said ports to couple the cabinet inlet and outlet ports respectively to the refrigerating unit cooled air outlet vent and return air inlet vent while isolating the vents and ports from the ambient atmosphere.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,293,316 8/42 Stebbins 62-237 2,506,448 5/50 Gregor 62-237 2,588,189 3/52 Wilson 62-237 2,778,206 1/57 Wilson et al. 62237 2,915,884 12/59 Haushalter et al. 62237 3,110,163 11/63 Webb 62237 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner. 

3. A REFRIGERATOR APPARATUS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A REFRIGERATING UNIT, AND A PHYSICALLY INDEPENDENT THERMALLY INSULATED MOBILE REFRIGERATED CABINET UNIT, SAID CABINET BEING PROVIDED WITH (A) AN ACCESS DOOR FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING THE INSULATED CABINET INTERIOR, (B) INLET AND OUTLET AIR PORTS LOCATED IN THE TOP WALL OF THE CABINET FOR RESPECTIVELY PERMITTING THE INJECTION OF COLD AIR INTO AND WITHDRAWAL OF AIR OUT OF THE CABINET INTERIOR, AND (C) MEANS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING SAID CABINET INLET AND OUTLET PORTS, SAID REFRIGERATING UNIT INCLUDING (A) MEANS FOR COOLING AND CIRCULATING AIR INCLUDING A COOLED AIR OUTLET VENT AND A RETURN AIR INLET VENT RESPECTIVELY SO LOCATED THAT SAID CABINET INLET AND OUTLET PORTS CAN BE RESPECTIVELY DISPOSED IMMEDI- 